EUROPE: Movsisyan, Armenia eye growing gulf

Pasadena's Yura Movsisyan was back on the field for Armenia's national team Saturday, but he couldn't provide the influence he'd hoped to. The Highlanders' Euro 2012 hopes took a blow in a 3-1 loss to Russia in St. Petersburg.

Roman Pavlyuchenko's hat trick followed Marcos Pizzelli's opener for Armenia (2-2-2), which dropped from striking to five points behind Group B's big three in qualifying for next year's European Championship.

Movsisyan, who played at Pasadena High School and Pasadena City College before heading to Major League Soccer as a first-round draft pick, made his seventh international appearance since committing to Armenia's national team last summer. The striker was one of two Highlanders based in Russia, where he plays for Krasnodar.

Russia, Ireland and Slovakia (all 4-1-1) have a significant advantage with four games to play, and fourth-place Armenia have away games left with the Slovaks (on Sept. 6) and Ireland (in an Oct. 11 group finale).

The group winner qualifies for Euro 2012, which will be played in Poland and Ukraine. One of nine group runners-up qualifies and the others are drawn into home-and-home playoffs for four more berths.

AREA PLAYERS IN EUROPE: 2010-11

D CARLOS BOCANEGRA (Alta Loma/UCLA)

Club: Saint-Etienne (France, Ligue 1)

Season: 34 league games (34 starts) with 2 goals, 36 games (36 starts) with 2 goals in all competitions

Club finish: 12-13-13 (10th place)

Snap judgment: U.S. national team captain quietly puts together a solid season, missing only five league matches (through injury) and going the full 90 in all but two others

Season: 3 league games (0 start), 4 games (1 start) in all competitions for Aston Villa; 19 league games (17 starts) with 3 goals, 22 games (20 starts) with 4 goals in all competitions for Borussia Moenchengladbach (Germany)